Telford man left naked in cell broke ceilings
A man with a rare skin disease caused thousands of pounds' worth of damage to two police custody cells because he had been left naked, a court was told.
Magistrates at Telford heard that Simon Lee's skin condition often caused people to stare at him and that he had felt "humiliated" in the cell as his requests for a blanket or for the lights to be turned off were ignored.
Abigail Hall, prosecuting, said that Lee, 34, of School Road, Donnington, had jumped from the bed of a cell in Malinsgate Police Station on September 11 and punched a hole in the ceiling. After being taken to another cell he did the same again.
Mrs Hall said that Lee was charged with two counts of criminal damage for punching the holes. However he was not charged with anything relating to the reason for his arrest.
He pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal damage.
Mr Chris Grainger, for Lee, said: "When they stripped him naked he couldn't handle it."
Mr Grainger said he appreciated the police had acted as they did for safety reasons but that Lee had perceived his treatment as "inhumane", and said that anti-rip clothing could have been provided more quickly.
Lee meanwhile accepted that his behaviour "was not the right thing to do".
Magistrates gave Lee an 18-month conditional discharge and ordered him to pay a total of £250 in various court costs.
